What makes Alberta so special? Simple, there's something for everyone!

From the bustling cities of Calgary and Edmonton to vast rolling prairies, prehistoric hoodoos and blue-green lakes fringed by pine trees and snow-capped mountains Alberta is one of Canada’s most exciting provinces and its diverse terrain provides the perfect playground for anyone in search of adventure.

The province’s natural beauty is the star attraction and you can’t fail to be in awe of your surroundings. Alberta boasts five UNESCO World Heritage Sites and its landscape ranges from the arid Canadian Badlands in the south to the gently rolling canola fields of central Alberta and the lush boreal forests in the north.

Drive of your life: The Icefields Parkway in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is heaven-sent for motoring fans

Climbers, hikers and skiers flock to the imposing Rocky Mountains, which are unquestionably Alberta’s most famous natural attraction, while the Canadian Badlands, which are known for their eerie rock formations and multi-coloured canyons, were home to dinosaurs 70 million years ago. Here, you can visit the world-renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum at Drumheller, go on a dinosaur dig or hike through Dinosaur Provincial Park.

Meanwhile, Northern Alberta is the place for star gazers to head as it is blessed with excellent viewing spots for the northern lights, or aurora borealis. The Northern towns of Fort McMurray, Fort Chipewyan, Slave Lake and Grande Prairie offer prime places to watch the sky pulse with gold, red, purple and green ribbons of light in nature’s magical show.

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So how best to explore this beautiful wilderness? Many people opt for a scenic road trip and National Geographic has ranked the drive between Banff and Jasper National Parks on the Icefields Parkway as one of the “Drives of a Lifetime”. Train travel can also be a spectacular way to explore Alberta and you can make the experience all the more memorable by riding in a restored rail car pulled by a vintage steam locomotive.

Alberta boasts over 600 lakes which offer miles of sapphire blue water and some of the finest views of the Rockies. Jasper’s Maligne Lake Boat Tour has been voted the “Best Boat Tour in Canada” and other popular cruises include Waterton Lake in Waterton Lake National Park and Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park.

Spot beautiful wildlife on your travels including foxes, elk and moose. And should you feel like teeing off, Alberta has plenty of wonderful courses for golfers

Of course, the best way to get back to nature is on foot and hiking is the number one activity in the province thanks to the great terrain and breath-taking scenery. The province’s 500 parks and reserves provide countless hiking trails and walkers can take a leisurely stroll through an alpine meadow or embark on a guided trek through backcountry, badlands or boreal forest on a hike that is guaranteed to get the pulse racing. Particularly well-trodden routes include the Alberta Buffalo and Trans-Canada trails, while the Lac La Biche area and Lacombe’s Ellis Bird Farm are great for birdwatching.

If you want to take your hiking experience to the next level you could try your hand at heli-hiking in and around Canmore, Grande Cache and Nordegg. You’ll get a spectacular bird’s eye view of ancient glaciers and hidden lakes on a helicopter flight before being dropped off in the untamed countryside and navigating your way back to base on foot.

Whether by road, rail, boat or foot, you’ll encounter a wealth of attractions and activities on your journey. Alberta is the only place in North America where the prairie, boreal forest and mountain ecosystems co-exist, which makes it a haven for indigenous and migratory birds, and keen birdwatchers can spot the endangered whooping crane, the rare trumpeter swan and the majestic golden eagle. Black and grizzly bears, moose, elk, wolves, cougars and coyotes also roam the province.

The abundance of pristine lakes in Alberta means that waterskiing, kayaking, boating and fishing are popular pastimes, particularly at Sylvan Lake, while Jasper National Park is a canoeing hotspot and Red Deer River is perfect for rafting.

Alberta also offers ideal terrain for mountain bikers of all skill levels and thousands of trails loop through its national and provincial parks. Alternatively, you can get off the beaten track on four-wheels in an All Terrain Vehicle, which is a great way to explore Alberta’s backcountry.

Do you think he saurus?: Learn more about Alberta's prehistoric inhabitants at the Royal Tyrrell Museum

Another of Alberta’s claims to fame is that it boasts the largest horse population in Canada so, from ranch holidays to rodeos, there is a vast range of equine adventures to choose from. It also has more golf courses than any other province in Canada and, with 18 hours of daylight in the summer, it is a golfer’s paradise. Golf enthusiasts come from around the world to play Alberta’s signature fairways, six of which are on Canada’s Top 10 list.

The pristine Banff Springs Golf Course, which was built in 1928 for a then-record-breaking $1 million, has attracted some of the top golfers in the world and Kananaskis, Jasper Park Lodge Resort and the Waterton Lakes Golf Course on the southern end of the Rockies are also prime golfing destinations.

And, of course, the Rockies’ majestic ranges and labyrinth of underground chambers are a magnet for climbing and caving enthusiasts.

If all that sounds a little bit exhausting, the natural landscape also provides an opportunity for some R&R: you can see hot springs, which are rich in minerals, in their natural state when you tour the Cave and Basin National Historic Site in Banff and then experience these ‘miracle waters’ first hand when you slip into the historic Upper Hot Springs in Banff or in Jasper’s newly renovated Miette Hot Springs.

Mirror image: Take a boat tour on stunning Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park

The outdoor adventure doesn’t end when winter arrives. In fact, for many people, it’s the best time to visit the province. Water skis are swapped for downhill skis and hiking boots for ice skates as people descend on the ski slopes and frozen lakes.

Skiing and snowboarding in the Canadian Rockies is second to none and the province is famous for its abundance of fluffy snow and sunny blue skies. Lake Louise, Sunshine, Norquay, Nakiska, Castle Mountain and Marmot - the Big Six mountain resorts - are usually open from November to April and there is no shortage of fresh snow.

Canyons that are inaccessible in the summer are transformed when the ice forms and ice climbing enthusiasts flock to the province to embark on an ice walk or tackle the iridescent canyon walls. One of the best ways to experience the Rocky Mountain glaciers and icefields is to tour along the Icefields Parkway, which runs 143 miles through remote, high-altitude terrain from Lake Louise to Jasper and takes its name from the huge glaciers that run along its west side.

Alternatively, try your hand at tobogganing, snowmobiling and dog-sledding or snuggle up under a buffalo robe on a moonlight horse-drawn sleigh ride. A fittingly romantic end to a captivating trip.